Hollywood Week: All Night Red Lip
There’s nothing worse than
realising that your bold lip has gone dry, gotten patchy, or disappeared altogether! It doesn't matter how expensive the lipstick is, I have the worst luck with this. Thankfully, I have a way of stopping my red lip from disappearing. (Note: works for any opaque lip color) Here’s some tips that will make your red lip last all night long.
First thing is to exfoliate and
moisturise. You don’t want your lips to be dry and dehydrated because lots of
lipsticks will cling to the dry bits and look icky. Exfoliate with a lip scrub
(easy DIY one here) and finish off with an extra thick balm. I prefer the kind from Burt’s Bees that comes in the little yellow metal tin, I can't find mine just now so sorry about that.
After you’ve given your balm some
time to soak in, it’s time to bring out the big guns. Apply your lipstick (or
lip pencil if that’s your thing) in a thin layer over the entire lip. I'm using one from BA Star that I've had since Christmas (post here) because I feel like I definitely do not use it enough, but I've also used this with my pricier lipsticks and it works just as well.
Top tip: A blue-toned red will make your teeth look whiter!
Next, you’ll want to apply either face powder or a matching blush to the lip. Think of this the same as powdering your face. You need to set the cream product so it will last. In my experience, loose powder works the best. I used an eyeshadow blending brush for this, but whatever you have on hand will work. If you don't have makeup brushes, in a pinch, I've also used my finger to tap on loose powder.
Top tip: A blue-toned red will make your teeth look whiter!
Next, you’ll want to apply either face powder or a matching blush to the lip. Think of this the same as powdering your face. You need to set the cream product so it will last. In my experience, loose powder works the best. I used an eyeshadow blending brush for this, but whatever you have on hand will work. If you don't have makeup brushes, in a pinch, I've also used my finger to tap on loose powder.
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| Clockwise from top left: bare lips, one coat, one coat w/ loose powder, two coats |
Finally, add one more layer of
your lipstick on top of the powder. It’s now set in for the rest of the night.
At this point, I’m usually good for (no joke) about twelve hours. If you find
your lips to be too matte, tap on a balm with your ring finger to add a little
shine. You could also top with a gloss if you're so inclined. If you do top with a gloss, the wear-time will diminish, but on the day pictured below, I still had eight hours with it, touching up the gloss halfway through.
As kind of an aside, I know a lot of people who are afraid to do the red lip thing outside of their house. I think that you're missing out. I think that the big trick to this is to stop making it an occasion. Wear fancy lipstick to the grocery, or to get the mail. It stops being so intimidating when you do it casually.
So that's it for Hollywood Week. Sort of. I'll be tweeting the Oscars tomorrow night via www.twitter.com/everydaycait, and then there will be a fashion recap up on Monday as well.
As an update, after that, I will be taking a while off. It's not really a vacation so much as a refocusing of efforts. I have a few big projects on the go that need some more attention. My next blog post after the Oscar coverage will be on March 17.
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| With Estee Lauder Pure Color Gloss in Rock Candy |
As kind of an aside, I know a lot of people who are afraid to do the red lip thing outside of their house. I think that you're missing out. I think that the big trick to this is to stop making it an occasion. Wear fancy lipstick to the grocery, or to get the mail. It stops being so intimidating when you do it casually.
So that's it for Hollywood Week. Sort of. I'll be tweeting the Oscars tomorrow night via www.twitter.com/everydaycait, and then there will be a fashion recap up on Monday as well.
As an update, after that, I will be taking a while off. It's not really a vacation so much as a refocusing of efforts. I have a few big projects on the go that need some more attention. My next blog post after the Oscar coverage will be on March 17.